B-Mets split double dip with Portland

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wbng sports

May 3, 2014Updated May 3, 2014 at 5:59 PM EST

Binghamton (WBNG BINGHAMTON) The Binghamton Mets split a doubleheader with the Portland Sea Dogs on Saturday afternoon at NYSEG Stadium, earning a 3-2 win in the opener before falling, 9-3, in the nightcap.

Binghamton got on the board in the second inning of game one with a two-out rally. Cory Vaughn stared with a bases-empty single to left field. After a walk to Jayce Boyd, Travis Taijeron singled to left field to score Vaughn for the first run of the game. Wilfredo Tovar tagged an infield single up the middle to plate Boyd, giving the B-Mets a 2-0 advantage.

The score stayed in the home team’s favor until the top of the sixth. Shannon Wilkerson doubled to left-center field to lead off the frame. Mookie Betts moved Wilkerson to third base on a single to right field and stole second. With one out and runners on second and third, Shaw singled up the middle. Both runners scored on the play and the game was tied at two.

The B-Mets wasted no time getting the lead back. In the bottom of sixth, Matt Clark was hit by a pitch with one out. Kevin Plawecki doubled down the left-field line to move Clark to third. With Cory Vaughn at the plate, Portland starter Henry Owens threw a wild pitch that allowed Clark to score the go-ahead run.

Chasen Bradford loaded the bases in the seventh, but escaped unharmed and earned his fifth save of the season by inducing Betts to fly out and Deven Marrero to line out to center. Gorski (2-1) allowed one run on six hits over six innings to earn the win. Owens (3-2) tossed a complete game for the Sea Dogs and struck out six, but was tagged with the hard-luck loss.

Game Two: Sea Dogs 9, B-Mets 3

In game two, Portland’s offense came alive against Binghamton starter Matt Bowman. After a 1-2-3 first frame, the righty ran into trouble in the second. Henry Ramos smacked a one-out double to left field to start the rally. Matt Spring followed with an RBI single to put the Sea Dogs ahead. With two aboard later in the inning Shannon Wilkerson stroked a two-run triple to the right-field alley. Betts capped the four-run frame with an RBI single.

Portland added an insurance run in the third. Travis Shaw led off with a double and came home on a Ramos single to give the visitors a 5-0 advantage.

Binghamton cut into the deficit in the bottom of the frame. Taijeron reached on a throwing error by Portland third baseman Carlos Rivero to start the inning. After a Xorge Carrillo single, Tovar grounded into a double play that moved Taijeron to third. Kyle Johnson deposited a single into center field to bring home Taijeron to make the score 5-1.

The score remained that way until the fifth inning. Deven Marrero led off with a solo home run over the left-field wall for the Sea Dogs sixth run. After a Shaw single, Rivero launched a 1-1 pitch to left field to blow the game open at 8-1. John Church came in to replace Bowman. The reliever allowed single to Peter Hissey to put Portland in front by eight.

Binghamton got one run back in the sixth inning. With one out and a runner on first, Jose Valdez came on to relieve Portland starter Brian Johnson. He allowed a Vaughn single and a walk before facing Dustin Lawley with two outs and the bases loaded. Lawley hit a single to left field to plate Johnson and cut the Sea Dogs lead to 9-2.

The B-Mets rallied again in the seventh. With one out, Tovar doubled to deep right field. After a fly out, Matt Reynolds singled to center field and Tovar scored on a throwing error by shortstop Derrik Gibson. Valdez retired the next two batters to nail down the 9-3 Portland win

Brian Johnson (1-0) allowed two unearned runs in 5-1/3 innings and held Binghamton to three hits to earn the win in his Double-A debut. Bowman (3-1) picked up the loss after allowing a career-high nine runs in 4-1/3 innings.

The B-Mets (14-11) wrap up their short home-stand against the Portland Sea Dogs on Sunday at 1:05 PM. Binghamton sends RHP Rainy Lara to the bump against RHP Mike McCarthy. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show begins at 12:50 PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF.

POSTGAME NOTES: Game one was the third time this season that Gorski has allowed two runs or fewer…Xorge Carrillo extended his season-opening hitting streak to nine games…Plawecki earned his sixth multi-hit game of the season in game one.